Article by Sarah Labdar

Now that we are in the 21st century, more people focus has shifted to improving their health. Health is important because ones health determines, how long you will live and what type of quality your life will have. Health is determined by diet, physical fitness, happiness, stress levels, choices and genetics. Genetics is the only part of health that cannot be changed. The rest of the factors determine what type of health one will have. However, no matter what ones present health is, there is always a way you can improve upon it. Poor health is a result of ones lifestyle, it occurs overtime. It takes years of eating unhealthy food breathing in unclean air, not exercising, stressful situations and unhappiness to acquire poor health. But you can get better health by changing these bad aspects of your life. Even the smallest step in the right direction can improve your health significantly. It’s your life; this is how you will achieve better health.

Healthy Eating- Food is a main part of everyone’s life, because it’s necessary to sustain life. As technology improved, so did the ability to make food quicker and cheaper. Although faster and less expensive to make food, doesn’t mean healthier to eat. Because the American lifestyle has sped up so has the need for quicker meal times, thus we have fast food. Highly processed foods are high in fat, calories and sugar, but the taste is good. The American diet is rich in saturated fat, high sugar content, and it has resulted in poor nutrition. The easiest way to change your diet is to add more fruits and vegetables into your meals. Fruits and vegetables are so important to the body because they supply vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients. Fiber is also an important component of ones diet which comes from fruits and vegetables, beans, seed, brown rice, and whole grains. By cutting out processed foods, and hydrogenated oils you can improve your diet significantly. Make healthier food choices. Buy fresh seasonal produce and make all your meals and snacks at home. Eliminated sugary foods from your diet as much as possible. Don’t deprive yourself of your favorite foods. However eat them in smaller quantities to satiate your cravings. Malnutrition is one of the leaders in disease and death totals each year, that’s why it’s important to make healthier choices when t comes to food.

Hydrate- The United States is a free country where people have access to clean drinking water and yet 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Our bodies are made up of 70% of water. When we are dehydrated it triggers fatigue and chronic dehydration can ultimately lead to death. Pure clean water is the best water to drink because all contaminants have been removed. Water purifiers remove such contaminants as chlorine, lead, heavy metals, parasites, and bacteria. It is recommended to drink between 5-8 glasses of pure clean water a day depending upon perspiration, respiration and urination. Replace soda, and juice with water to kick start your way to better health.

Exercise- Physical activity is needed to keep the muscles in the body from atrophying, the joints, tendons and ligaments flexible and elastic, and keep circulation of blood and oxygen throughout the body. Inactivity is a huge risk factor for many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Moderate exercise between 10-30 minutes a day helps to control weight loss, reduce stress, improves circulation, and lessen the risk for blood, heart and arterial diseases. Doing some exercise is better than dong none. Walking, running, house cleaning, gardening, dancing and stretching are just some examples of everyday exercise. If you have maintained a sedentary lifestyle it is necessary to start any exercise regiment slow and build up. Start with 10 minutes and work your way up to 30 minutes a day. Remember to switch up your daily exercise to avoid boredom and monotony. Thirty minutes of exercise, 7 days a week is an ideal way to better your health.

Clean Air-Breathing in clean air is just as important to ones health as nutrition, exercising, and drinking pure water. Our lungs are an integral part of the circulatory system, which without we would not be living. Pollution is just one way that our air supply can be contaminated. In some cases indoor air can be more hazardous than outdoor air. Indoor air pollution is thought to be the cause of many circulatory diseases such as allergies, asthma, and autoimmune disease. Using an air purifier can help to reduce indoor air hazards such as mold spores, viruses, bacteria, chemical gases, fumes, odors and pollen. Plus, when the weather permits open up the windows and let fresh air in. It’s important to get outside more often. Air pollution is more concentrated in cities, so air quality is better in the suburbs or country. Breathing cleaner air keeps your lungs pumping for a longer life.

Lower Stress- Stress is a major factor, which impacts our health. Stress impairs the immune system, leaving the body susceptible to diminished health. Stress can arise in any area of our lives, i.e. Job, money, relationship, economy, etc. Stress can cause feelings of hopelessness, depression, or negative thoughts, which ultimately deteriorate your mood and behavior. It is important to change negative thoughts and bad moods by shifting ones energy. By looking at a situation from a different perspective or letting go of things you can’t change you can circumvent stress. Talking to a close friend can lift your stress. Surrounding yourself with a supportive group of friends that accept you and understand you is vital to your social well being. Job unhappiness is a major stressor taking place in society today. With the inability to find jobs, people are accepting positions without determining whether it would be a job they would enjoy or excel at. Because we spend most of our time at our jobs it’s important to like what you do rather than do a job you hate with people you don’t like. Job satisfaction plays an important role in our mental well being. Expressing love freely also is a great stress reducer. Love reduces stress hormones in the in the body which strengthens the immune system. Showing love, appreciation, and gratitude to your spouse, partner, friends and family, will bring you closer and diminish stress in your life. When you love it makes you happy, and happy people live longer and healthier.

Ultimately achieving better health is about making better choices throughout your life. Every choice we make in our lives has as future outcome. Making bad choices or choices for the wrong reasons can result in an outcome we don’t expect, leaving us angry or blameful. That’s why it’s important to feel good about your decisions no matter what the outcome. Choose healthy foods, exercise, clean water and air, good friends and an enjoyable job to eventually improve your health and live a longer life.

About the Author

Sarah Labdar graduated with a BA in exercise science and has worked in the medical field since. Her focus is alternative medicine and how it interacts and works in conjunction with traditional medicine. http://www.universalhealthinfo.com/Better_Health.html

Find More Health Articles